Support frame unit for swimming pool assembly

ABSTRACT

Disclosed is a support frame unit for a swimming pool assembly, which stably withstands hydraulic pressure, transmitted from a wall of the swimming pool assembly. The support frame unit for a swimming pool assembly, in which a plurality of support frame units is disposed along the periphery of a surrounding wall of a pool body of the swimming pool assembly filled with water so as to prevent the surrounding wall from being sunken due to hydraulic pressure, includes first and second vertical rods having a rectilinear shape, upper ends of which are detachably attached to horizontal rods maintaining the shape of the upper end of the surrounding wall; a prop pipe including a central part inserted into a loop part formed on the bottom of the pool body, and first and second branch parts bent from both sides of the central part in the same direction; and first and second shoes respectively formed in single pieces having inclined holes, into which lower ends of the first and second vertical rods are respectively inserted, formed in upper surfaces thereof, and horizontal holes, into which the first and second branch parts of the prop pipe are respectively detachably inserted, formed in side surfaces thereof.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a swimming pool assembly, and moreparticularly to a support frame unit for a swimming pool assembly, whichis installed along the periphery of a surrounding wall of a pool body soas to prevent the pool body from being sunken due to hydraulic pressure.

2. Description of the Related Art

In general, swimming pool assemblies are formed by sewing a vinyl tentinto a designated shape to form a pool body, fixing the pool body topoles mounted on the ground, and filling the inside of the pool bodywith water. In the case that side walls of the pool body are sunken byhydraulic pressure, the water stored in the pool body may flow out ofthe swimming pool assembly and thus an amount of the water as much asthe outflow amount needs to be frequently supplied to the inside of theswimming pool assembly.

In order to solve the above problem, a swimming pool assembly, whichincludes a plurality of support frames for supporting the outer surfaceof a surrounding wall 10 of a pool body 1 so as to prevent thesurrounding wall 10 from being sunken by hydraulic pressure, isproposed, as disclosed in Korean Patent Registration No. 416215 (withreference to FIG. 1).

The support frames of the conventional swimming pool assembly includehorizontal rods 20 inserted into a pocket 11 for maintaining the shapeof the upper end of the pool body 1, a plurality of vertical rods 30supporting the horizontal rod 20 s, and shoes 40.

Each of the vertical rods 30 is provided with an extension 31, which isbent, at the lower end thereof, and the vertical rod 30 and the bendingportion of the extension 31 are fixed by the shoe 40. The shoe 40, asshown in FIG. 2, includes a lower piece 41 mounted on the ground, and anupper piece 43 provided with a pair of connection protrusions 43 aslidably inserted into a pair of connection holes 41 a formed in theupper portion of the lower piece 41.

When the pool body 1 is filled with water, the surrounding wall 10 ispushed to the outside of the pool body 1 by the hydraulic pressure ofthe water, and thus the hydraulic pressure is finally transmitted to theshoes 40 through the horizontal rods 20 and the vertical rods 30.

Here, stress generated from the shoes 40 is mainly concentrated upon theupper pieces 43. Thereby, the upper ends of the vertical rods 30 arepushed to the outside of the pool body 1, and are revolved upwardly withrespect to the connection portions between the extensions 31 and thevertical rods 30, thus lifting up the upper pieces 43. Particularly,when the ground on which the shoes 40 are mounted is not level and eachof the shoes 40 is inclined in the longitudinal direction of theextension 31 due to gravel, force, which is applied to the upper piece43 by the extension 31, is maximized and stress is concentrated upon theconnection protrusions 43 a being thinner than the central portion ofthe upper piece 43. Thereby, the connection protrusions 43 a are damagedand thus the upper piece 43 is separated from the lower piece 41.

This problem is fundamentally caused by the vertical rods 30, which arerespectively provided with the bending extensions 31, and the shoes 40,which respectively include two pieces, i.e., the lower and upper pieces41 and 43.

Further, since the shoes 40 respectively include two pieces, when theswimming pool assembly is assembled, the upper pieces 43 coincide withthe upper portions of the extensions 31 and then are fixed to the lowerpieces 41, under the condition that the lower portions of the extensions31 are fixed to the lower pieces 41. Thereby, the installation of theshoes 40 is complicated, and requires a long time. When the swimmingpool assembly is disassembled, the same problems are generated.

Further, since the shoes 40 are manufactured in a pair of lower andupper pieces 41 and 43, when any one of the lower and upper pieces 41and 43 is missing, a new pair of lower and upper pieces needs to bepurchased.

Moreover, each of support frame units forming the support frames of theconventional swimming pool assembly includes a pair of the vertical rods30 respectively provided with the extensions 31, which are bent, at thelower ends thereof, and a C-shaped prop pipe having both ends connectedto the extensions 31 of the vertical rods 30 using elastic fixingprotrusions and a central part connected to a loop part 13.

Thus, the support frame unit for the conventional swimming pool assemblyrequires a bending process and a tube reducing process for forming thebending extensions, and requires elastic connection structures forinterconnecting the vertical rods and the prop pipe, thus increasing aproduction cost.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the aboveproblems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide asupport frame unit for a swimming pool assembly, which allows verticalrods to be designed in a rectilinear shape without a bending portion soas to reduce a load and stably withstand hydraulic pressure transmittedfrom a wall of the swimming pool assembly.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a support frameunit for a swimming pool assembly, which has a simple frame structure soas to reduce an overall time taken to assemble and disassemble theswimming pool assembly.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a support frameunit for a swimming pool assembly, which has a simple frame shape and asimple manufacturing process, and directly interconnects vertical rodsand a prop pipe using shoes without elastic connection structures forinterconnecting the vertical rods and the prop pipe so as to increaseproductivity and promote cost-cutting.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a supportframe unit for a swimming pool assembly, which allows vertical rods tovertically slide along inclined holes of shoes, even though force isapplied to horizontal and vertical rods in the outward direction and/orin the upward direction due to the load of water surging in the swimmingpool assembly, so as to prevent the shoes from being damaged or thelower ends of the vertical rods to be bent.

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the above andother objects can be accomplished by the provision of a support frameunit for a swimming pool assembly, in which a plurality of support frameunits is disposed along the periphery of a surrounding wall of a poolbody of the swimming pool assembly filled with water so as to preventthe surrounding wall from being sunken due to hydraulic pressure,comprising first and second vertical rods having a rectilinear shape,upper ends of which are detachably attached to horizontal rodsmaintaining the shape of the upper end of the surrounding wall; a proppipe including a central part inserted into a loop part formed on thebottom of the pool body, and first and second branch parts bent fromboth sides of the central part in the same direction; and first andsecond shoes respectively formed in single pieces having inclined holes,into which lower ends of the first and second vertical rods arerespectively inserted, formed in upper surfaces thereof, and horizontalholes, into which the first and second branch parts of the prop pipe arerespectively detachably inserted, formed in side surfaces thereof.

Each of the inclined holes of the first and second shoes may have atapered shape such that the diameter of the lower portion thereof issmaller than the diameter of the upper portion thereof and the diameterof the inclined hole is gradually increased from the lower portionthereof to the upper portion thereof.

In this case, it is preferable that the diameter of the lower ends ofthe first and second vertical rods is equal to or smaller than thediameter of the lower portions of the inclined holes of the first andsecond shoes, so that the lower ends of the first and second verticalrods respectively slid along the inclined holes of the first and secondshoes and is lifted to a designated distance in the vertical directionwhen the upper ends of the first and second vertical rods are pushed inthe outward direction of the pool body and/or in the upward directiondue to the hydraulic pressure.

Further, free terminals of the first and second branch parts areelastically snap-connected to the horizontal holes of the first andsecond shoes respectively.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other objects, features and other advantages of thepresent invention will be more clearly understood from the followingdetailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional swimming pool assembly;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a support frame for supporting asurrounding wall of the swimming pool assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a support frame unit for a swimming poolassembly in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IV-IV of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of FIG. 4, illustrating theinsertion of a lower end of a first vertical rod into a connection hole;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the portion ‘VI’ of FIG.4; and

FIG. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of FIG. 4, illustrating thelifting of the lower end of the first vertical rod, inserted into theconnection hole, upwardly from the connection hole.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Now, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be describedin detail with reference to the annexed drawings.

A support frame unit for a swimming pool assembly of the presentinvention is disposed such that the support frame unit surrounds theperiphery of a pool body 1, and supports a surrounding wall 10 so as toprevent the surrounding wall 10 from being sunken due to hydraulicpressure applied to the surrounding wall 10 of the pool body 1.

With reference to FIG. 3, the support frame unit in accordance thisembodiment includes first and second vertical rods 110 and 120, firstand second shoes 210 and 220, and a prop pipe 300, which are prepared ina set. Thus, plural sets of the support frame units are disposed atregular intervals along the surrounding wall 10 of the pool body 1.

The first and second vertical rods 110 and 120 have a rectilinear shapehaving a designated length. Upper ends of the first and second verticalrods 110 and 120 are detachably connected to a plurality of horizontalrods 20 inserted into a pocket 11 formed at the circumference of theupper end of the pool body 1, and lower ends 111 and 121 of the firstand second vertical rods 110 and 120 are inserted into inclined holes211 and 221 of the first and second shoes 210 and 220.

The first and second vertical rods 110 and 120 are disposed such thatthe upper ends of the first and second vertical rods 110 and 120 areinclined to the pool body 1 under the condition that the first andsecond vertical rods 110 and 120 are installed between the vertical rods20 and the first and second shoes 210 and 220. The first and secondshoes 210 and 220 are respectively formed in single pieces and have thesame shape, and thus only the first shoe 210 will be described below andthe description of the second shoe 220 will be omitted.

With reference to FIG. 4, the inclined hole 211, into which the lowerend 111 of the first vertical rod 110 is inserted, is formed in theupper surface of the first shoe 210, and a horizontal hole 213, intowhich a free terminal 321 of a first branch part 320 of the prop pipe300 is inserted, is formed in one side surface of the first shoe 210. Anangle of inclination between the inclined hole 211 and the horizontalhole 213 of the first shoe 210 determines the mounting angle of thefirst vertical rod 110.

In this case, the inclined hole 211 has a tapered shape such that thediameter (D1) of the lower portion of the inclined hole 211 is smallerthan the diameter (D2) of the upper portion of the inclined hole 211 andthe diameter of the inclined hole 211 is gradually increased from thelower portion thereof to the upper portion thereof, as shown in FIG. 5.Here, the diameter (D3) of the lower end 111 of the first vertical rod110 is equal to or smaller than the diameter (D1) of the lower portionof the inclined hole 211. This shape of the inclined hole 211 allows thelower end 111 of the first vertical rod 110 to slide along the inclinedhole 211 and thus lift up to a designated distance in the verticaldirection, when the upper portion of the first vertical rod 110 ispushed in the outward direction of the pool body 10 by hydraulicpressure.

Further, as shown in FIG. 6, a fixing recess 215, to which a lockingprotrusion 323 installed in the free terminal 321 of the first branchpart 320 is elastically connected, is formed in the horizontal hole 213.In this case, the locking protrusion 323 is elastically installed in thefree terminal 321 of the first branch part 320 by a return spring 325,and is protruded to the outside of the free terminal 321 of the firstbranch part 320 through a through hole 322 and exposed upwardly throughthe fixing recess 215. Thus, in order to separate the first branch part320 from the horizontal hole 213, the first branch part 320 is taken outof the horizontal hole 213 under the condition that the exposed lockingprotrusion 323 is pressed, and thereby is easily separated from thehorizontal hole 213.

In FIG. 6, non-described reference numeral 323 a is a stumbling sill,and non-described reference numeral 325 is a fixing protrusionsupporting the return spring 325.

The prop pipe 300 has an approximately C shape, and includes a centralpipe 30 fixed to a loop part 13 formed on the bottom of the pool body10, and first and second branch parts 320 and 330 bent from both ends ofthe central pipe 30 in parallel in the same direction. Here, freeterminals 321 and 331 of the first and second branch parts 320 and 330are respectively inserted into horizontal holes 213 and 223 of the firstand second shoes 210 and 220.

A process for mounting the above support frame unit will be described asfollows.

First, the upper ends of the first and second vertical rods 110 and 120are respectively connected to the horizontal rod 20, and the lower ends111 and 121 of the first and second vertical rods 110 and 120 areinserted into the inclined holes 211 and 221 of the first and secondshoes 210 and 220.

Under the above state, the prop pipe 300 is inserted into the loop part13. Then, when the free terminals 321 and 331 of the first and secondbranch parts 320 and 330 are pressingly inserted into the horizontalholes 213 and 223 at a designated force, the locking protrusions 323 areelastically inserted into the fixing recesses 215, and the freeterminals 321 and 331 of the first and second branch parts 320 and 330are stably inserted into the horizontal holes 213 and 223 of the firstand second shoes 210 and 220.

As described above, since the connection of the first and secondvertical rods 110 and 120 to the first and second shoes 210 and 220 inthe support frame unit for the swimming pool assembly of the presentinvention is much more simple compared with the support frame unit forthe conventional swimming pool assembly, the support frame unit for theswimming pool assembly of the present invention is rapidly assembled anddisassembled.

In the above support frame unit, when the pool body 1 is filled withwater, the hydraulic pressure applied to the surrounding wall 10 istransmitted to a plurality of the first and second vertical rods 110 and120 through the horizontal rods 20. That is, force is applied to thehorizontal rods 20 and the first and second vertical rods 110 and 120 inoutward direction and/or the upward direction due to the load of thesurging water in the swimming pool assembly.

Hereinafter, the functions of the first and second vertical rods 110 and120 are the same, and thus only the function of the first vertical rod110 will be described with reference to FIG. 7.

In the case that force is applied to the horizontal rods 20 and thefirst and second vertical rods 110 and 120 in the outward directionand/or in the upward direction due to the load of the surging water inthe swimming pool assembly, as described above, the inclined hole 211 ofthe first shoe 210 has a tapered shape such that the diameter of theinclined hole 211 is gradually increased from the lower portion there ofto the upper portion thereof, and thus it is possible to prevent theshoe 210 from being damaged or the lower end 111 of the first verticalhole 110 from being bent depending on the lifting of the first verticalrod 110.

That is, the upper ends of the plural first vertical rods 111 are pushedin the outward direction (F) of the pool body 1 and/or in the upwarddirection to a designated interval, as shown in FIG. 7. Here, onecircumferential surface of each of the lower ends 111 of the pluralfirst vertical rods 111, which are inserted into the inclined holes 211of the plural first shoes 210, slides along one surface 211 a of each ofthe inclined holes 211 coping with the outward direction (F), and islifted in the upward direction to a designated distance.

This lifting of the first vertical rods 110 is caused by the taperedshape of the inclined holes 211, and thus prevents the lower ends 111 ofthe first vertical rods 110 from being bent due to stress concentratedupon the lower ends 111 and the first shoes 210 from being damaged bythe first vertical rods 110.

As described above, each of the first and second shoes 210 and 220 isformed in a single piece, and thus is easily kept compared with theconventional shoe including two pieces.

As apparent from the above description, the present invention provides asupport frame unit for a swimming pool assembly, in which each of firstand second shoes is formed in a single piece and each of first andsecond vertical rods inserted into the inclined hole of each of thefirst and second shoes has a rectilinear shape, and thus the first andsecond vertical rods are lifted to a designated height along theinclined holes due to force concentrated upon the lower ends of thefirst and second vertical rods, thereby preventing stress from beingconcentrated directly upon portions of the first and second shoes andthus preventing the first and second shoes from being damaged.

The support frame unit has a simple frame structure, and thus a processfor manufacturing the support frame unit is simple. Further, the firstand second vertical rods and a prop pipe are directly connected usingthe shoes, and thus conventional elastic connection structures forconnecting the vertical rods and the prop pipe are omitted. Thereby, thesupport frame unit has a much more simple process for connecting thefirst and second vertical rods to the first and second shoes comparedwith the conventional support frame unit, and is rapidly assembled anddisassembled, thus increasing productivity and promoting cost-cutting.

The support frame unit allows the vertical rods to be designed in arectilinear shape without a bending portion, thus reducing a load andstably withstanding hydraulic pressure transmitted from a wall of theswimming pool assembly.

Each of the first and second shoes is formed in a single piece, and thusis easily kept compared with the conventional shoe including two pieces.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have beendisclosed for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art willappreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions arepossible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the inventionas disclosed in the accompanying claims.

1. A support frame unit for a swimming pool assembly, in which aplurality of support frame units is disposed along the periphery of asurrounding wall of a pool body of the swimming pool assembly filledwith water so as to prevent the surrounding wall from being sunken dueto hydraulic pressure, comprising: first and second vertical rods havinga rectilinear shape, upper ends of which are detachably attached tohorizontal rods maintaining the shape of the upper end of thesurrounding wall; a prop pipe including a central part inserted into aloop part formed on the bottom of the pool body, and first and secondbranch parts bent from both sides of the central part in the samedirection; and first and second shoes respectively formed in singlepieces having inclined holes, into which lower ends of the first andsecond vertical rods are respectively inserted, formed in upper surfacesthereof, and horizontal holes, into which the first and second branchparts of the prop pipe are respectively detachably inserted, formed inside surfaces thereof.
 2. The support frame unit according to claim 1,wherein each of the inclined holes of the first and second shoes has atapered shape such that the diameter of the lower portion thereof issmaller than the diameter of the upper portion thereof and the diameterof the inclined hole is gradually increased from the lower portionthereof to the upper portion thereof.
 3. The support frame unitaccording to claim 2, wherein the diameter of the lower ends of thefirst and second vertical rods is equal to or smaller than the diameterof the lower portions of the inclined holes of the first and secondshoes.
 4. The support frame unit according to claim 1, wherein freeterminals of the first and second branch parts are elasticallysnap-connected to the horizontal holes of the first and second shoesrespectively.